Direct from Cape Town. Travels and experiences in and around the city, and voyages that carry you beyond its shores.
Cape Town balances mountain and sea, and creativity with entrepreneurial spirit. It’s where café culture meets coastal calm, with easy access to an abundance of alluring wine farms and favourite neighbourhood spots, stylish hotels and coastal escapes. It’s where a simple drive can turn into a day trip worth writing about. These are stories about where to eat, stay, wander and escape. Told with an insider’s eye and a touch of attitude.
But the journey doesn’t stop there. Direct From Cape Town also follows travels that lead elsewhere – to spaces and places that stir curiosity, or soothe the senses.
Contact us on : info@directfromcapetown.co.za
Dining
Cape Town’s dining scene is among the most dynamic anywhere, shaped by its coastal setting, abundant produce, diverse cultural influences and imaginative, ambitious chefs. Yes, the city delivers exceptional fine dining, but its strength runs the full spectrum – from vibrant neighbourhood eateries to characterful coffee shops. The result is a food culture that’s refined yet relaxed, adventurous without pretence, and full of flavour.
Local
Cape Town is a city of neighbourhoods, each with its own rhythm and personality. Start with a coffee in the City Bowl beneath the rise of Table Mountain, stroll the Sea Point promenade with its mix of joggers, dog walkers and ocean air, or climb Lion’s Heaad for sweeping views. Venture a little further to Kalk Bay or Muizenberg, where the pace slows and the mood shifts. Wherever you go, the city’s creative spirit spills into galleries, weekend markets, music and design.
Overseas
There’s something quietly transformative about arriving in a new place – a fresh skyline, a different quality of light, unfamiliar flavours. Whether it’s a quick city break in Europe, a long-haul escape to Southeast Asia, or a slow, scenic wander through Mediterranean coastal towns, travel widens your world and shifts your perspective. The moods and moments you gather along the way have a way of lingering, reshaping how you live long after you return home.
Lisbon’s Old Soul and New Rhythm
Saudade is a word long associated with Lisbon. It captures the sensibility of a deep, bittersweet sense of longing, nostalgia and melancholy and touches through its history, fado music and even its luminous light. Yet other threads have emerged over the past few…
Why Babylonstoren is one of South Africa’s most compelling destinations
Babylonstoren has evolved from a meticulously restored Cape Dutch farm into one of South Africa’s most fully sought-after lifestyle destinations. Regularly featured on global must-visit lists, it is part working farm, part vineyard and party luxury retreat – and…
Why Constantia remains the Cape’s most underrated wine region
Often overshadowed by the champion wine regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Constantia quietly offers some of the Cape’s most compelling wine and dining experiences. Set in a small, lush valley just 20 minutes from central Cape Town, it combines proximity,…
Bosjes: Beyond the chapel, a study in Considered Design
Think of Bosjes, and the image that most readily comes to mind is its striking chapel, a sculptural landmark that anchors almost every photograph of the estate. The chapel is unapologetically contemporary; a series of fluid, wave-like curves that appear to float…
Big Five without the crowds: inside Samara Karoo Reserve
Samara Karoo Reserve in the Great Karoo is a Big Five destination without the traffic jams, tour buses or crowded sightings. Near the historic Eastern Cape town of Graaff-Reinet, it is a place of profound stillness: vast horizons, enormous skies and a sense of…
Lonely Planet picks Kruger Shalati as a 2026 Bucket-List Experience
Lonely Planet, one of the world’s most recognized travel-guide publishers, has named Kruger Shalati among its Top 25 bucket-list experiences worldwide for 2026 in its global guide for the year ahead. Suspended above the Sabie River on a decommissioned…
De Hoop: A Sanctuary of Stillness, Sea and Unspoiled Beauty
De Hoop Nature Reserve is a place where primal beauty meets pristine stillness. Sweeping sand dunes tumble into turquoise wates, framed by an untouched wilderness. The rich vlei hums with birdlife, while buck wander freely across the plains. Set along the…
Inside La Colombe: the restaurant that keeps raising the bar
Few South African restaurants have reached the heady heights of La Colombe, a constant presence on global best-of lists and a one that attracts diners from around the world. Driving up the winding road towards of Silvermist Wine Farm in Constantia, already feels…
Vuur: A long lunch by fire
The experience at Vuur lingers long after you’ve left. Part of its allure is the paradox: it’s ranked among the world’s top 101 steakhouses – at number 87 – yet it feels more like an intimate countryside farmhouse gathering than a fine-dining destination. The…
Trading flip-flops for snow boots: the magic of Val d’Isère in winter.
The idea of a snowy holiday can feel wonderfully exotic to South Africans accustomed to summer sunshine and long, lazy days on the beach. Yet there’s a particular magic in trading flip-flops for snow boots, and discovering a world of glühwein, alpine spas, winter…